Fountain Hill house fire leaves family heart-broken

A grandmother's heart was broken on Saturday afternoon, after all of the Christmas gifts she purchased for her grandchildren melted away in a Lehigh County fire.

"She just did Christmas shopping for her grandkids. She is really upset because all of the gifts were in there. She had just put her Christmas tree up," said Curtis Green, the homeowner's son.

Fire raged through the Fountain Hill home on Bergen Street, keeping firefighters busy for hours and nearby residents without power.

"As a precaution for aerial devices, PPL had to shut power off in the area so ladder trucks could work safely," said Raymond Anthony, Fountain Hill Fire Marshal.

Green said his mother, Ana Alicea, purchased the home three years ago. She lived there with her husband and Green's brother.

"She sacrificed a lot to get the house," Green said.

Green learned about the fire through a text message.

He said he reached out to his mom Saturday afternoon to see if plans for dinner were still scheduled. She replied with a text message, saying something about a fire. He immediately called her to find out more, but heard nothing more than screams and cries for help.

"I thought she was inside. I didn't get to say one word to her. Heard screaming and crying, just dropped the phone and rushed over as fast as I could," Green said.

While the fire destroyed countless memories and keepsakes, Green said he and his family are grateful that no one was home and no injuries were sustained in the fire.

Fountain Hill firefighters are still working to determine where and how the fire started.

Green said the family has insurance and is working with the Red Cross .

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